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EAT THE POOR
“Cutting taxes for the rich is the best anti-poverty program. I’m mindful of what a pipe fitter once said to President Reagan: ‘I’ve never been hired by a poor man.’ A growing economy is in the interest of every working American, regardless of income.” — Mike Pence, then Indiana Representative, on how to help the…
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The Return of the King
It became immediately apparent to senior executives of JP Morgan Chase upon their arrival at work Monday morning that their day would be different, when they were greeted in the boardroom by JP Morgan, who had been dead for the past 100 years. There was no mistaking him, standing before his portrait: the massive shoulders,…
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Putting the “I” in “Capitalism”
This week a consortium of investors, businessmen, baseball executives and a magic giant officially completed their purchase of the Los Angeles Dodgers who, unlike the Los Angeles Angels, actually play in Los Angeles. But if these savvy business pros want to succeed in the dog-eat-dog world of American capitalism, where apparently the eating of dogs…
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Very Poor Relations
Regular readers of this blog (both of them) know that it’s all about coming to the defense of the underdog—in this case, the guy running for president who comes out and says he’s“not concerned about the very poor”: Mitt Romney. Mitt has good reasons not to be concerned! First of all the “very poor” don’t vote. That…
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Amazing Fantasy
As evidenced by “Grimm,” “Once Upon a Time,” and GOP talking points on the economy, fantasy is back on TV in a big way! And the lines are blurring like Rick Perry’s vision at a New Hampshire fundraising dinner: “Once Upon A Time” features a beautiful, evil queen vexed by her children, like Sarah Palin;…
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“Labor Day, more like…” oh, never mind.
Most of us think of Labor Day as a three-day weekend of barbecues, parades and boating accidents, the unofficial end of summer and our last chance to wear white legally until spring. But we’ve forgotten what it really means: a day of rest to commemorate the hard labor we’ve put in all year—unless you’re a…
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Cry Uncle
Let’s say you had an uncle (we’ll call him “Sam”) who was rich and powerful and had a way with the ladies but, as eventually happens to all uncles, eventually became a pathetic, embarrassing shadow of his former self—the Charlie Sheen of uncles. Having fallen on hard times, not only doesn’t he send money on…
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Shirt Wasted
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, and while a cake with one hundred burning candles might seem inappropriate, some have found a better way to commemorate this tragic loss of shirtwaist material: dismantling the labor movement it spurred. Happy Anniversary! In March of 1910 under working conditions a Siberian Gulag…
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Stuck in the Middle with You
Now that the new fiscally responsible Congress has addressed the crucial issue of extending tax cuts for the wealthy, it’s time to get down to the real business of further impoverishing America’s middle class. (Motto: “Didn’t we used to be in the middle?”) Our national economy continues to perform with the same mix of hope…
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Booth or Consequences
The mid-term elections are upon us, and as anyone who’s ever crammed for mid-terms knows, those drugs can make you pretty crazy. But the myriad of borderline-insane candidates clamoring for your attention with less dignity than a diaper-soiled baby chimp can at least agree on one issue: it’s all about MONEY. Spending it. Having it. Making…